PURPOSE

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Research Institute invites submission of applications for the Collab Fertility Environmental Research Award for Fellows. This award aligns with ASRM’s mission to advance the science of reproductive medicine and Collab Fertility’s mission to support research on the impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), air pollution, and nutrition on reproductive health.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible applicants must:

1. Must be a physician in the first or second year of an ACGME-accredited REI Fellowship.
2. Applicants must demonstrate a strong career goal within the field of Reproductive Medicine.
3. All sources of funding must be disclosed by the awardee.

Projects exploring the impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), nutrition, and lifestyle on fertility,
pregnancy, and fetal development are prioritized. These much needed studies can help scientists lobby for bans
on certain chemicals from entering our food supply, water and household products.

Areas of interest include but are not limited to:
• Impact of wildfire, air pollution and climate change on ART outcomes
• Intervention studies showing how diet may impact semen parameters and ART outcomes
• Identification of supplements that may improve reproductive conditions such as PCOS or endometriosis,
validating observations with robust studies
• In vivo or in vitro mechanistic studies that identify pathways disrupted by environmental exposures
• Interactions between genetics and EDC exposures in reproductive diseases, such as infertility, fibroids
and/or endometriosis
• New technologies for monitoring exposures or their effects
• Interventions for mitigating the effects of exposures
• The intersections between health, climate change and environmental justice
• Establishing in vitro and computational approaches to identify new hazardous chemicals and chemical
risk assessment

This award aims to support continued growth and exploration in this field. The pilot study can establish a proof
of concept and generate preliminary data for future funding opportunities. All applications will be reviewed and
scored by our scientific advisory board. A report will be required at the end of funding, identifying any resulting
publications or products and subsequent funding obtained to support future extended or expanded studies. Any
resulting publications, presentations, or products must directly acknowledge funding from Collab Fertility’s
CLEAN program.

AWARD

Amount:  $10,000     Number of Awards Available:  One (2)     Award Period:  One (1) Year 

APPLICATION

An application must include the following information in order as described below. Additionally, all letters must be included in your application package and cannot be sent separately or after the deadline. Please note: Letters outside of the required department head or program chair letters are not required but you may submit up to 2 additional letters of support should you choose.

1. Title page
   1. Title of the project (not to exceed 200 characters including spaces)
   2. Applicant’s name and credentials
   3. Applicant’s department affiliation and sponsoring institution
   4. ASRM membership status (provide member number if applicable)
   5. Contact information including mailing address, telephone number, and email
   6. Total funding amount requested
2. Letters
   1. Program Director letter (One-page maximum) acknowledging the applicant’s project and grant proposal, endorsing the applicant’s research, and confirming the institution’s commitment to provide time and support to the applicant.
   2. Trainees must include a letter of support from a faculty mentor and must complete the project prior to their program completion.  
3.  Abstract (One page maximum)
   1. Scientific Abstract (500 words) describing the research proposal including the potential immediate impact of the anticipated results on the practice of reproductive medicine.
   2. Lay-person Abstract (200 words) describing the project in general terms
4. Specific Aims of the research proposal presented in NIH format (One-page maximum)
5. A research proposal should include the following sections (no more than three pages)
   1. Background and Significance
   2. Resources and Environment (can be attached as appendix)
   3. Research Plan (methodology and statistical analysis plan must be clearly described)
   4. Timeline for project start-up, implementation, and completion
   5. Innovation and Potential Impact
   6. References/citations are required but will not count against the total number of pages for the application.  You may also include them as an appendix.
6. NIH-style Biosketch
   1. An NIH fellowship biosketch should include a specific description of the role of the investigator in the proposed project and should not exceed FIVE pages (including the current funding).
7. Budget
   1. A detailed yearly and cumulative budget and budget justification for the project.
   2. No clinical care costs will be covered by this funding opportunity.
   3. Funds are available for project expenses, technical assistance, patient expenses, research supplies and durable laboratory equipment, analysis software, national registries, survey licenses, etc.
   4. Funds may NOT be used towards degree-seeking courses, salary, or the purchase of equipment.
   5. Funds, up to $1200, may be used for conference travel/registration to present the final summary of findings at ASRM Congress.
   6. This grant does not cover the sponsoring institution's indirect costs.
8. Formatting & Due Date
   1. The proposal must be typed in Calibri 12-point type with page margins no less than .5 inches and no more than 1 inch.
   2. Pagination should be included at the bottom of each page (excluding the Title page).
   3. The entire application must be submitted as ONE PDF FILE to research@asrm.org, Subject Line: Collab Fertility Grant Application by 4:00 PM EST on April 20, 2026.
9. Regulatory Requirements
   1. Human and/or animal use must be approved by the Institutional Review Board or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, or their equivalent and documented before funds are released, but pre-approval is not required for application.
   2. It is required that any research involving human embryos will comply with applicable federal and state laws and will be in line with the ASRM’s guidance document on the ethics of human embryo research. No research will proceed without all relevant Institutional Board(s) and Committee(s) reviews and approval.

SELECTION PROCESS

An ASRM Research Institute Grant Review Group (GRG) will review the proposals and awardees determined. To avoid a potential conflict of interest, members of the GRG will recuse themselves from reviewing any proposal that involves their institutions of employment. Award notifications will be made in May 2026, and funding will be dispersed in July 2026.

REPORTING

Annual progress and financial reports are required and should be sent to research@asrm.org. ASRM Research Institute will review and provide a confirmation of progress report acceptance via email. Continued funding will depend on demonstrated progress and productivity as well as compliance with progress report timelines and any regulatory requirements. A final progress and financial report is required and should be submitted to ASRM within 90 days of project completion.